Architecture and Public Discourse_ From Tweet to Failure

7/29/2019 Architecture and Public Discourse_ From Tweet to Failure

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9/11/13 Architecture and Public Discourse: From Tweet to Failure

urbantimes.co/magazine/2012/12/architecture-and-public-discourse-from-tweet-to-failure/

Architecture and Public Discourse: From

Tweet to FailureWith public opinion being a powerful determinant of value,

and social media increasingly acting in the vanguard,

comments that are made online have the very real potential

to bring about architectural success or cause total failure.

How would the Sydney Opera House competition occur today in the face of social media? (Image source: Joriel

"Joz" Jimenez on Flickr)


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Matthew Trigg 6 4

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With public opinion being a powerful determinant of value, andsocial media

increasingly acting in the vanguard, comments that are made online have the very real

potential to bring about architectural success or cause total failure.

Beyond meeting its functional brief, the economics ofarchitecture continue to rely

on the value of a structure. In architecture, value is derived principally from

reputation. That could mean the reputation of a given stakeholder (the architect,

builder, etc.) or object (the overall building itself or any given component). In

architecture, a bad reputation can be an impassable barrier for potential users and

future owners. A good reputation, on the other hand, drives demand and has a

positive effect on what individuals or organisations are willing to pay to get involved

(consider, for example, the premium many are willing to pay to engage a

starchitect). This is true for many things in life and is hardly anything new. For as

long as language and architecture have existed, the former has been used to judge

the latter.

As social media continues to demonstrate its immense power through, an

unprecedented dimension is added to the traditional architectural discourse. Sites

such as Facebook and Twitter (along with countless other interactive platforms)

present a public forum of a seemingly limitless capacity. On such platforms, there

are no barriers to participating in the discussion, and any participant can speak with

authority and without justification.

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The New Forum for Public Debate

Combined with a degree of public apathy, the rise of social media is one of the

causes for a reduced prominence of architectural critics in mainstream media.

Experienced commentators such as Allison Ariefffrom the New York Times or

Elizabeth Farrelly are now few and far between. Unfortunately, only a small

portion of social media users have sufficient clout to fully drive a debate of any

significant scale (for extreme examples think Richard Branson, Stephen Fry or

Rupert Murdoch). Instead, we now see an increasing number of (for lack of a

better term) micro architectural debates occurring throughout various online

networks.

Posts, photos, tweets, likes, comments and connections; what was once made in

passing is now recorded in minute detail and can be recalled at any time. The causal

architectural discourse has been made more formal, while the conventional

formal discourse loses its prominence. With participants being increasingly

informed, the expert struggles to have their voice heard.

Not an Abstract Discussion

How would the Sydney Opera House competition occur today in the face of social media? (Image source:

Joriel Joz Jimenez on Flickr)

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In a world increasingly driven by social media, the effects of public discussion and

debate around what comprises good architecture have become more important

than ever. This of course also means that it presents real threats to the value of a

property.

Before any major architectural project or acquisition is initiated, due diligence

should be given to social media assessment. Public relations should form the

cornerstone of a leading portfolio and facilities management.

By choosing not to engage with their public, decision makers should at least be

prepared for the public wrath that may ensue. The speed with which publicjudgement can be brought continues to increase, making it extremely difficult to

react effectively without due preparation. A proactive engagement with social

media and being prepared to lead the architectural debate have become valuable

points of investment within this world of architecture.

Enhanced Communication

In a world driven by social media, the public opinion about what comprises good architecture is as

important as ever. (Photo credit: juque on Flickr)
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There will never be a general consensus around architecturaltaste, however a greater engagement in the process could leadto a greater sense of ownership and acceptance.

The power of social media is often strongest when its users pass judgement in

hindsight. The need to deliver quality results and to succeed from the outset are

more important than theyve ever been. Once a reputation is tarnished, it can take

a lot of time and effort to repair, and the damage can be irreparable. Beyond the

parade of compromise that typifies most architectural projects, most hope their

creations will be cherished, even loved. Unfortunately for many, for any number of

reasons their projects receive a bad reception.

Social media strategizing is an architectural risk that requires effective

management, but can also bring forth immense opportunities. The rise of social

media is a positive sum game in the interest of better quality architecture and

urbanism. Project stakeholders, industry professionals and the general public can

be engaged throughout the design process, and more efficiently brings forth

discussions and that can result in change.

Ultimately, increasing the public debate around architecture and urbanism by

means of social media should be seen a positive feat. Still, it is something that

needs to be effectively managed. There will never be a general consensus around

architectural taste, however a greater engagement in the process could lead to a

greater sense of ownership and acceptance. When done right, social media in

architecture allows a project to be enhanced over bitter compromise. It supports

communication; illuminating ideas, problems and solutions that were previously not

considered, avoiding problems that by traditional means would be addressed too

late.

The Value of Competition
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Perhaps architecture can get the most use our of social media in terms of public

architectural competitions; a realm where the benefits of professional competitive

tention and public discourse are traditionally brought together.

In Australia, for example, competitions have been used for years on select projects.

From the world-famous Sydney Opera House to the Middle Park Public Toilet in

Melbourne, the results often speak for themselves. Because of its reliance on

public discourse, its unlikely the result of such competitions can ever be mediocre.

Again, to be successful, such a process needs to be managed, especially when

intrinsically combined with social media. In this context public competition refers

to one which is conducted openly, meaning decision makers and designers can

make informed choices, and where the decisions are made in the public eye. Social

media brings a degree of openness, transparency and engagement to the

discourse around public competitions. To a certain extent, it can be seen as crowd

A show at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (Image Source: Wikipedia commons)
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sourcing for all or part of the judging process. The more closed off the judgement of

such of a competition is, the less valuable it is going to be.

In such competitions, the justification of a decision is just as (or even more)

important than the decision itself. It allows all players involved to understand the

issues and progresses the wider debate within the given building culture (or

Baukultur) while at the same time ensuring a higher quality architecturaloutcome.

Consider the value of a process where the public see every initial proposal and

instigate their feedback, compared to that of a select group of experts judging in

secret with limited justification. When instigating a project that potentially millions

of people will be forced to look at and experience every day for decades to come,

the difference in value is quite clear.

A public competition is never the easiest path to take, but it can reduce risks of

extra costs and time blowouts, which can be brought about by pressure from the

community down the line. By engaging a community upfront and throughout a

process through mediums such as social media, push back can be mitigated or even

avoided entirely.

In general, making social media assessments and engagement part of the decision

making process allows all those involved to focus their energy toward mutuallybeneficial outcomes. Applying this to the architectural competition is a stellar

example of how opportunities can be reaped from such a process.

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Rick Perry STRONG or Bigotry in PublicDiscourse

Sex, Soho And Neon: The Story Of ChrisBracey

28 December 2012

Responses to Architecture and Public Discourse: From Tweet to

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Josh O'Conner

I think a major element in the democratization of the built environment is that there

is no consensus via the canon any more. In other words, it used to be that when an

expert spoke, we were inclined to believe them, but that's not our current reality. I

think we are entering an age where consensus and public relations require

considerable more attention and where the "Average Joe" (or Jane) has a

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considerable amount of influence because of their ability to hop up on their social

media soap box.

I think it's both good and bad, because in addition to managing and responding to

the conversation, we also have to make sure that the conversation isn't being co-

opted by those with more power.

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Architecture and Public Discourse_ From Tweet to Failure